Today is the crown birthday of South Africa’s democracy. On birthdays, it is customary to reminisce over photos from years gone by, timeless memories and stories that have shaped the being.
In this case, the being is a living, breathing democracy that is 27 years old and entering that phase of life when every step is critical, so that the merest of boo-boos doesn’t turn into an existential crisis of epic proportions.
Breathe, South Africa. You’ve got this.
In true birthday fashion, we have dived into City Press archives to see how our colleagues, heroes and, sometimes, jesters covered the birth of this nation that is still trying to get a grip on its multifaceted potential, yet also trying to emulate the leaders that our mothers and fathers were.